Daisy Chains
by tromana
Summary: Company protocol is confusing Jane, as per usual. Jane/Lisbon friendship and fluff. For WildDaisies10.


**Title:** Daisy Chains  
**Author: **tromana  
**Rating: **K+  
**Characters:** Jane/Lisbon, Team  
**Summary: **Company protocol is confusing Jane, as per usual. Jane/Lisbon friendship and fluff.  
**Disclaimer:** Well, I've put my offer in, but I'm not hopeful  
**Spoilers: **1.20 Red Sauce  
**Notes: **Written for WildDaisies10's birthday. She asked for fluff and I took inspiration from her username. Writing this was hard… I'm not really happy with it. I seem to be developing a fluff block again. Dammit.

**Daisy Chains**

"I can't keep it."

"Why not?" Jane queried. "I've been to your house, you have a little garden which would be perfect to set up a run."

"Because," Lisbon started. "Wait, you've been to my house?"

"Yeah, course I have. Your lawn needs cutting."

"Jane…"

"Anyway, she's a she," Jane continued. "She's called Daisy, by the way."

Lisbon had been cradling the young rabbit, a Netherland Dwarf, for a good half an hour. She had been using the excuse of waiting for Cho to find a suitable box to carry her in to have said cuddle, and things seemed to be going well between the fierce little agent and the gentle little creature. Jane smiled and flopped beside Lisbon and the bunny, and gave Daisy a quick stroke along the length of her back.

Jane wasn't quite sure when the CBI's jurisdiction included the re-homing of animals belonging to deceased victims. Lisbon had insisted, though, and Jane knew she was already smitten with said animal. Though he had always known that Lisbon had a softer side, he hadn't expected her to be quite so happy to show it with something like the small pet in her arms. And she was determined to make sure she knew the animal would be well looked after by taking her to the animal shelter. Apparently, if they didn't, she couldn't live with herself not knowing when the creature would get it's next meal. After all, Daisy couldn't be blamed with the death of her owner.

"I can't keep her because she belonged to a victim," Lisbon pointed out.

"But you're obviously fond of her," Jane replied. "I can't believe a little rabbit has completely mellowed the formidable Agent Lisbon."

"My lifestyle is not conducive to pet ownership."

"It's not like she's a dog and you used to own one of those."

"I had to give her away when I got my promotion," Lisbon retorted. "She lives with my brother and niece now."

"She would give you good company."

"She belonged to a victim, I couldn't."

"You've already said that."

"Er boss?" Cho interjected. "Will this do?"

Lisbon nodded and demanded that Cho lined the box with hay first. Jane found himself having to subdue a chuckle. Really, he thought she was being a little bit irrational. The animal needed a home now and she liked said animal, so what was the problem? If she walked into the animal shelter, saw Daisy and had no preconceptions of where she had come from, he knew Lisbon would be quite happy to take her home. But as she knew she came from a victim's house, and she was in the middle of solving the murder of said victim, she couldn't. If he could be bothered to look hard enough, there was probably some kind of rule about it, But that would be an arduous task and would take up too much precious time. Better to let her think she had this victory than to argue with her, at any rate.

It didn't come as a surprise that she looked quite sad as they left the animal with the kindly old woman at the shelter. Lisbon had asked multiple times just what care the animal would receive and begged her to do her best to re-home Daisy. During the drive back to the CBI headquarters, she was fairly morose to the extent that Cho noticed there was a distinct lack of banter between Jane and Lisbon. Not that he was complaining, mind. It was a brief shred of solitude which he knew wouldn't last long. Something would start one of them off again sooner rather than later and then the whole rabbit incident would be forgotten.

***

Her pen darted across the form with practised ease. Jane had only managed to irritate one person on the case, excluding herself, which had to be some kind of record. That meant less paperwork, and Lisbon was always grateful for that. She cast her mind back a couple of days, to her sunning herself on the lawn of the victim with a little ball of fluff snuggled in her arms and Jane telling her just to keep it. The poor rabbit hadn't an owner because of a jealous boyfriend and all Lisbon could think about was the past. She hadn't wanted to give away Bubbles, but after her mother's death they just couldn't afford to keep a pet rabbit anymore. Daisy had brought back memories of youth and innocence, a time before she felt responsible for everyone around her, all the time.

She jumped and immediately stopped her procrastination as Patrick Jane, like usual, completely forgot about manners. He strolled into her office, with his arms behind his back, acting as if he owned the place. Lisbon narrowed her eyes slightly and pretended to ignore him until he placed a generic stuffed rabbit with a daisy chain around its neck on the file she was trying to work on.

"Jane! Why…"

"Have I placed a cuddly toy in the way?" Jane finished smugly for her. "You'll find out soon."

With perfect timing, Lisbon's telephone rang shrilly, indicating an internal call. Giving Jane a pointed look, she answered to an irate Minelli. Shoving the toy roughly back into Jane's arms, she rushed towards the door, explaining that she had to go and placate their boss. The consultant merely grinned as she disappeared and ushered his work colleagues forward. He expected that they had about half an hour to put his plan into action.

Lisbon, however, found out from Minelli that someone (and they both suspected Jane) had thought it a good idea to dress the lower two floors of the CBI headquarters with flowers. And because they had both decided to pin the blame on him without question, Lisbon felt responsible to clear up the mess, like usual. After all, it wouldn't be fair to leave the mess to be sorted out by their faithful cleaners. She had tried to rope Van Pelt, Cho and Rigsby into helping, but they, along with Jane, they had all mysteriously disappeared. So much to the amusement of the other units, she was left scurrying alone. None of them were willing to interfere with 'SCU matters' and several confirmed that it was Jane who had decorated the building with flowers whilst smirking with amusement at what the fierce boss lady of the SCU had resorted to doing.

"Boss!"

Van Pelt calling Lisbon took her by surprise. She had just finished clearing away the daisies from the second floor and was looking forward to hiding away in her office. The sooner she could get away from the other units, the better. This would provide them with enough fodder to gossip about for months. As usual, Van Pelt looked a little shell-shocked as she came under Lisbon's gaze.

"Yes, Van Pelt?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I really think you should go back to your office now."

"What's going on Van Pelt?"

The woman made an incoherent noise and much to Lisbon's annoyance, walked off as fast as her feet could carry her. Growling slightly, and ignoring the people trying to keep a straight face around her, she stalked off to the elevator. If possible, she would be quite happy to put them all on stakeout duty for the next month. When she made it back to the third floor, her team were back working at their desks and Jane, nowhere to be seen. Irritably, she strode towards her office and opened the door to be greeted by a rabbit hutch, complete with a live rabbit and the final chain of daisies placed on top.

"He hasn't a name yet, but I'd recommend Dandelion."

Lisbon jumped, spun round on her heels and was millimetres from whacking him around the head. She cursed at him loudly for making her jump before dumping the daisy chains she had found dotted throughout the headquarters in his arms. Only Jane would conceive a treasure trail which meant following flowers around a building. She knew immediately that it was his way of distracting her for long enough to set the hutch up in her office.

"You shouldn't have brought me a rabbit," she responded.

"I can't buy a gift for my friend? Because I'm not taking _this_ one back," Jane answered. "What with the jewellery and the pony… you'll give me a complex, woman."

"You're sweet."

"Yes, I am."

"And arrogant," she retorted, with an affectionate thump.

He simply grinned as she turned her attention back to the rabbit. She seemed to immediately relax the moment the creature was in her arms and Jane immediately knew it was worth the hassle. It did mean that everyone else in the CBI was going to give them more sly remarks than usual, though. And it would take Minelli a long while to forgive him, but what was new, there?

"Can I come visit him at your house?"

Lisbon considered it for a second. "I guess. You can make sure he gets to my house safely, too."

end


End file.
